Indiana Auto Plant (IAP), celebrated the start of mass production of the all-new 2013 Acura ILX today. The first ILX, built exclusively in Indiana, rolled off the assembly line at 10:30 a.m. EST and was greeted by Honda associates, community partners and elected officials, who gathered to mark its launch.
Honda Begins Production of All-New 2013 Acura ILX at Indiana Plant
Honda Manufacturing of Indiana President Jun Nishimoto hands the keys to the first mass-produced, all-new 2013 Acura ILX to American Honda’s Jeff Conrad during today’s ceremony at the Greensburg facility. The Acura ILX is exclusively built in Indiana and will be moving to dealers in the coming weeks. Honda celebrated the unveiling with their associates, the community, suppliers and local government leaders, including Indiana’s Lieutenant Governor Becky Skillman.
“Acura has a sparkling reputation and we are thrilled to build the gateway vehicle to this brand at our Greensburg facility,” said Jun Nishimoto, president of Honda Manufacturing of Indiana. “As the exclusive builder of the ILX, IAP has a big responsibility. Our associates meet this challenge by working together as one team and today we are ready for our customers to share our pride in this beautiful new product.”
The new Acura ILX sedan symbolizes the gateway to the Acura lineup and comes with both gasoline and gas-electric hybrid powertrain options. IAP produces three versions of the Acura ILX – a 150-horsepower, 4-cylinder 2.0-liter model, a 201-horsepower 2.4-liter model with 6-speed manual transmission, and the ILX Hybrid, with a 1.5-liter 4-cylinder engine. The gasoline engines for the 2,0- and 2.4-liter versions of Acura ILX come from the Anna, Ohio, engine plant of Honda of America Mfg., Inc.
The Acura ILX hybrid version is Acura’s first-ever hybrid model, the first hybrid vehicle to be made in America at a Honda plant, and the first Acura model to be produced in Indiana. The Acura ILX joins the TL sedan, ZDX crossover vehicle, and the MDX and RDX sport-utility vehicles as the fifth Acura model produced exclusively in North America. Acura finished second among all luxury brands in the J.D. Power and Associates’ 2011 Initial Quality Study.
“This all-new Acura luxury sedan is closely linked to the future of Acura,” said Jeff Conrad, vice president and general manager of Acura for American Honda. “Just as the Acura ILX is the gateway to the Acura brand, Honda Manufacturing of Indiana is a gateway to Acura customers.”